Sleep and dreaming

Question 1

Functions of sleep

Answer 1

healthy brain
Physical repair
Emotional stability

Question 2

Sleep onset insomnia

Answer 2

problems falling asleep
Causes: 
Ongoing anxiety
Too much caffeine or nicotine before bed
Eating a heavy meal close to bed time
Playing computer games close to bed time
Physical pain

Question 3

Sleep maintenance insomnia

Answer 3

problems staying asleep
Causes:
Depression 
Drinking alcohol
Restless leg syndrome
Sharing a bed room with a snorer
Menopause

Question 4

Freudian theory

Answer 4

dreams act as wish fulfilment ( satisfying urges and desires) the id is our primeval instinct of aggression and sex however Freundian believed we released these repressions through our dreams it is rare,y shown in the manifest content (actual content or dream) more shown in latent context (underlying meaning of dreams)

Question 5

Freudian theory - critisisms

Answer 5

the theory is too subjective
Freuds dream theory is difficult to test
The theory is based on unreliable research as it is mainly case studies
The theory has a narrow interpretation of dreams it only relates them to wish fulfilment and then its mainly about sex and aggression
The theory can be accused of cultural and historical bias

Question 6

Activation synthesis of dreaming

Answer 6

Sn explanation for dreaming which states dreams are just random activation of neurons and the brains efforts to make sense of this through synthesis
This is supported by scans which show as we sleep there are random spikes of brain activity in the pon(messaging station of the brain)

Question 7

Activation synthesis of dreaming -critisisms

Answer 7

the theory is considered too reductionist
Theory is challenged by evidence showing dreams aren’t as random as the neuronal activities in the brain
Challenged because some people have continuity in their dreams
Dreams occur in non REM stages of sleep
Patients with damage to brainstem el not stop dreaming which contradicts the theory